Collar fastener



Ap 1934- c. F. REYNOLDS 1,955,020

COLLAR FASTENER Filed June 2, I935 Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNETED restart COLLAR FASTENER Charles F. Reynolds, Cleveland, Ohio Application June 2, 1933, Serial No. 673,961

4 Claims. (CI. 5421) This invention relates to fasteners, and par ticularly to that type of fastener known as collar fasteners. They are so named because they are used on horse collars for bringing together and securing the two ends of the collar.

Collar fasteners as commonly constructed comprise two members, one of which is a base member on which is a pivoted tongue. This base member is secured toone end of the collar. The other member comprises a clevis secured to the other end of the collar by means of the strap. In use, the pivoted tongue of the first member is swung open and the clevis is slipped over the end of the tongue and the tongue is then swung to a closed position where it lies close to the base portion. The tongue provides a lever for exerting a pull on the clevis for forcing the collar together, and when the tongue swings past a dead center position the fastener remains shut until the pressure is applied to the tongue to open it. The tongue is provided with a projection for engaging the clevis when the fastener is closed and lifting it clear of the base portion on which the tongue is pivoted to facilitate the opening of the collar.

The present invention relates to a fastener which is considerably cheaper to manufacture than fasteners of this nature as heretofore constructed, and more especially, the present invention pertains to a novel form of tongue for such fasteners.

The invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 represents a top plan view of th complete fastener;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the assembly shown in Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section in the plane of line III-III of Fig. 1.

- In the drawing, A designates generally the fastener member which is to be attached to one side of the collar, and B designates the clevis member which is attached to the other side of the collar. The clevis member B is of any preferred or conventional form, comprising merely a closed loop which can be secured to the end of a strap (not shown), and it forms no part of the present invention.

The member A comprises a base plate 2, preferably comprising a malleable casting, which is preferably suitably curved to conform to the surface to which it is to be secured. It has rearwardly extending arm portions 3, at the ends of which are upstanding lugs 4, these lugs being connected by a cross bar or bridge 5, the cross bar or bridge 5 being at the tops of the lugs are somewhat undercut, as indicated at 6, providing a notch for receiving the cross bar of the clevis B when the fastener is closed as shown in Fig. 2.

The bridge 5 provides a support on which the tongue 7 is mounted and about which it swings. Th6 tongue 7 is formed of heavy stiff wire which is looped at 8, the loop portion forming the free end of the tongue. The loop has parallel reaches 7a and 7b, and the end portions of each reach of the wire are bent sharply upward at'9, then closed around over the bridge 5, forming a small loop or eye 10 on each end of the wire. The extreme terminal portion of each leg or reach of the loop is bent sharply downwardly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the legs or reaches 7a and 7b, providing, in effect, downwardly extending lugs 11, these lugs being normally received in the opening 12 in the base when the fastener is closed. The opening 12 is formed in the base between the rearwardly extending portions 3 and under the bridge 5. The base has other small openings therein through which rivets or screws can be passed for securing the fastener to the collar or other device on which it is to be mounted.

When the fastener is closed, as shown in all of the figures, the clevis B is received in the un dercut portions or notches 6 of the lugs 4, and it also bears against the lug portions 11 of the tongue, thereby serving to pull the tongue in against the base for the reason that the clevis B lies below the bridge 5 and any pull on the clevis therefore tends to be exerted against the portions 11 in such manner as to urge the tongue toward the base member 2.

When it is desired to open the fastener, the outer end of the tongue is lifted up, as indicated in Fig. 3. The clevis B is retained in the crotch 13 formed Where the wire is bent together around the bridge, causing the clevis to be forced inwardly and upwardly, first to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, and when the clevis has been lifted over the center of the bridge 5 the pull of the clevis will tend to open the tongue completely, allowing the clevis to be lifted clear of the tongue.

As previously indicated, fasteners of this gen eral type have been heretofore used, but they have generally been in the form of an integral casting. The present invention provides a tongue which is formed of a ductile metal wire of Sllfficient strength to resist the bending strains that are imposed upon it in the ordinary use to which the device is subjected, and which is not only more resistant to breakage than the malleable casting, but is considerably cheaper.

While I have described the invention as a collar fastener, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular use, but may be otherwise employed where a fastener of this type is desirable.

I claim:

1. A collar fastener comprising a base mem ber having a cross bar supported thereon above the plane of the top of the base member and having an opening therethrough under the cross bar, and a tongue comprising a loop of heavy wire having parallel reaches, each'end of the looped wire being bent upwardly and being closed around said cross bar with the extreme terminal portion thereof bent outwardly in a direction away from the loop and substantially perpendicular to the respective reaches of wire.

2. A collar fastener comprising a base member having a cross bar supported thereon above the plane of the top of the base member and having an opening therethrough under the cross bar, and a tongue comprising a loop of heavy wire having parallel reaches, each end of the looped wire being bent upwardly and being closed around said cross bar with the extreme terminal portion thereof bent outwardly in a direction away from the loop and substantially. perpendicular to the respective reaches of wire, there being a crotch formed between the reach of the wire and the outwardly bent terminal portion, which crotch is arranged for cooperation with the fastener and clevis.

3. A collar fastener comprising a base member having a cross bar supported thereon above the plane of the cross bar and having an opening therethrough under the cross bar, and a tongue comprising a looped piece of wire having parallel reaches, the loop forming the free outer end of the tongue, each end portion of the wire being bent upwardly and then around the cross bar to form a substantially closed eye providing a pivotal mounting for the tongue, the upward bend in the end portions of the wire permitting the tongue to lie close to the base when the fastener is closed, the extreme terminals of the wire being bent sharply down so as to form projections adjacent said closed eye, the opening in the base accommodating said projections when the tongue is closed.

4. A collar fastener comprising a base member having rearwardly extending legs with upstanding lugs thereon, said lugs having undercut edge portions therein, a cross bar connecting the lugs, and a tongue on the cross bar comprising a wire having parallel reaches, the looped portion of the wire providing the free end of the tongue, the end of each reach of the wire being bent sharply upwardly and then being bent around the cross bar forming a substantially closed eye at the end of each reach of the wire, the extreme terminal portion of at least one end of the wire being bent outwardly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the tongue.

CHARLES F. REYNOLDS. 

